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Building Safety Regulator clears Ebury Bridge phase two for construction

Building Safety Regulator clears Ebury Bridge phase two for construction

Built World

Gateway 2 approval unlocks 334 homes, 228 at social-rent levels, in Knightsbridge and Belgravia

Yesterday: BSR approves all four Gateway 2 applications

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Westminster City Council cleared the last major regulatory hurdle for the second phase of its Ebury Bridge Estate regeneration on October 12, when the Building Safety Regulator approved all four building safety applications for the £229m scheme. The Gateway 2 decision lets main contractor McLaren Construction start building 334 homes, 228 of them at council social-rent levels.

The approval is an early test of how the post-Grenfell building safety regime handles a major London regeneration. It also locks the project into the pre-levy pipeline: the Building Safety Levy took effect October 1, and these applications were validated before that date, so the scheme avoids the new charge.

Why it matters

The approval shows the post-Grenfell safety regime can clear a major housing project, unlocking 228 social-rent homes in central London.

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Key Indicators

£229m
Phase 2 construction contract value
Contract with McLaren Construction, signed January 2026.
334
Homes in Phase 2
228 social rent, 10 intermediate sale, 96 market sale across five buildings.
228
Social-rent homes in Phase 2
Part of the biggest delivery of new council homes for social rent in Westminster in over 60 years.
97%
BSR new-build approval rate
Regulator's approval rate for new-build higher-risk building applications, July-September 2026.
23 weeks
Median BSR approval time
Median time for new-build higher-risk building applications, July-September 2026.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

1930s October 2026

8 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. BSR approves all four Gateway 2 applications

    Latest Regulatory approval

    Building Safety Regulator clears all five phase two buildings for main construction, covering 334 homes.

  2. Building Safety Levy takes effect

    Regulation

    New charge on residential development building control applications begins. Ebury Bridge applications were validated before this date.

  3. Enabling works begin

    Construction

    McLaren starts site preparation ahead of main construction.

  4. £229m phase two contract signed

    Contract

    McLaren Construction signs the contract for the second phase of the regeneration.

  5. Cabinet approves McLaren as phase two contractor

    Decision

    Westminster cabinet approves the full business case and appoints McLaren Construction.

  6. Fire safety design amendment submitted

    Planning

    Non-material amendment filed to reflect updates to fire safety standard BS 9991:2024.

  7. Phase one completes with 226 homes

    Milestone

    First phase delivers 226 homes, 100 of them for social rent.

  8. Original Ebury Bridge Estate built

    Construction

    The 1930s estate in Knightsbridge and Belgravia becomes the subject of a multi-phase regeneration.

Scenarios

1

Phase 2 completes on schedule in 2029

Likely Resolves by Q3 2029

Discussed by: Westminster City Council, McLaren Construction

Main construction proceeds through 2027 and 2028, with the 334 homes delivered by mid-2029 as scheduled. The council and McLaren announce practical completion, and the new residents move in.

2

Construction delays push phase two past 2029

Possible Resolves by End of 2029

Discussed by: Construction industry analysts

Site conditions, supply chain issues, or cost pressures delay the project. Completion slips into 2030 or later, potentially raising the £229m budget.

3

Phase three gets the green light

Possible Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: Westminster City Council

The final phase of the regeneration proceeds through planning and Gateway 2 approval, completing the full redevelopment of the estate. The council moves forward with the remaining homes.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

June 2017

Grenfell Tower fire (2017)

A fire in a 24-storey London tower block killed 72 people. The building's aluminium composite cladding was found to be highly flammable, and the fire exposed systemic failures in how building safety was regulated across the construction industry.

Then

The government launched the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which documented failures across construction firms and regulatory bodies.

Now

The inquiry's findings led to the Building Safety Act 2022, which created the Building Safety Regulator and the Gateway approval process.

Why this matters now

The Gateway 2 approval for Ebury Bridge is among the first major tests of the regime Grenfell created.

April 2022

Building Safety Act 2022

Parliament passed the Building Safety Act, creating a new regulatory regime for higher-risk buildings. The Building Safety Regulator became the building control authority for these buildings on October 1, 2023.

Then

Developers must now get Gateway approvals before starting construction on higher-risk buildings.

Now

The regime has approved 97% of new-build applications, with a median decision time of 23 weeks.

Why this matters now

Ebury Bridge phase two is among the first major regeneration projects to clear the full Gateway 2 process under the new regime.

Sources

(9)